With two professional assassinations in quick succession, James Bond is quickly elevated to '00' status. "M", head of the British Secret Service, sends the newly promoted 007 on his first mission to Madagascar, the Bahamas, and eventually to Montenegro to face Le Chiffe, a ruthless financier attempting to recapture funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. When Bond is placed under the watchful eye of the treasury officer Vesper Lynd, his initial skepticism of her turns into a deepening interest as Le Chiffe's cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine, and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.